It's obvious Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen is in pain, but not based on her performance on the court.
The Hutchinson, Minn., native had a noticeable amount of tape bracing her left wrist as the defending WNBA champions defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 94-77 in the first game of the Western Conference finals. Whalen had 12 points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal, with only one turnover, in the win.
"She was basically out there with one hand," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve told the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. "She is in a lot of pain."
The Lynx take their 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series to Los Angeles for game two, scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT Oct. 7. They finished with the WNBA's best record at 27-7. Their 27-7 mark was good enough for the top seed in 2011 as well, and only lost one game. The Lynx were given all they could handle in the deciding third game of the Western Conference semifinals by Seattle, but advanced with a 73-72 win.